Kerry O'Keeffe says Benaud was 'peerless' when it came to commentating

Former Australian cricketer and commentator Kerry O'Keeffe has branded late cricketer and legendary broadcaster Richie Benaud's commentary as 'peerless'.

Commentating doyen Benaud passed away on Friday aged 84 after battling skin cancer. O'Keeffe has described the late broadcaster's commentating style as unparallel and insisted that he had always been fair and never hysterical.

The former spinner said that it was such a seamless style, and there was never any clunkiness about anything Benaud ever did on air, describing it as always being measured and balanced. He added that Benaud was respected and admired by his broadcasting colleagues and the players, which is a unique reputation to have, if ones workmates and those one is working on admire and respect the person.

O'Keeffe said that he thought the whole Trevor Chappell under-arm incident in 1981, during the after-match when Benaud was on-air, his views on it were strident, but they were fair, and he delivered it in that fair and precise style.

The former ABC Radio broadcaster revealed that he remembered watching Benaud and thinking that he was strong in his condemnation, but insisted that the late commentator was fair, adding that one knew where he stood on it, but claimed that he was never hysterical.